Vane pump or motor



Feb. 21, 1933. H. F. VICKERS VANE PUMP 0R MOTOR Filed Feb. 25. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 21, 1933. RE gK s 1,898,914

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 sra ras PATENT OFFICE-A BY F. VICSlOF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA vane rum on Moron w V i I Applicationfiled Februaryfl, 1929. Serial K 3433602. 1

certain limitations due to excess pressures and wear on the vanes and /or. to excess pressures on the bearings suppo rting the revolving, e1ements.

It is a general objet of this invention to provide a mechanism of the general type mentioned, that is a rotary blade or vane type mechanism, useful either as a motor or pressure generator, wherein the vanes or blades operate freely and with a minimum of. friction so that they do not impair the mechanical eificiency of the machine and are not subject 5 to egcessive' wear.

It is another obiect of the invention toprovide an arrangement and formation of parts in a mechanism of the character mentioned whereby the pressures occurring on the mov- 3{) ing or rotating element are so balanced and distributed as to neutralize or counteract themselves, relieving the rotor bearings of excessive pressures which ordinarily occur in mechanisms of this character. Y

' It is an object of the'invcntion to provide various other refinements and improvements 4 in a mechanism of the character mentioned including improvements in the formation of the rotor, in the mounting of the vanes in the -40 rotor, etc.

the mechanism being a view taken substantially as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa sectional view taken as indicated by line 3-3. on Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion. of'

the mechanism. c

The mechanism provided by this invention is intended primarily to handle or to be actuated by liquid, say, for instance, oil. The invention may be used for or applied to a wide variety of uses and theref re may be embodied in various forms. In the following disclosure particular reference will be had to the mechanism as a motor, that is to its being actuated by fluid pressure, and reference will 5 be made to one particular form or embodiment of the invention that has been found particularly suitable for motor use. It isto be understood that the broader principles of the invention are not tobe construed'as lim- 7 ited to details that will be hereinafter set out.

The mechanism includes, generally, a housing A, a rotor B, and blades orvanes 0 carried by the rotor and operable in the casing. In the form of the invention illustrated the i5 rotor B is fixed on a shaft D which extends into the housing from one end. The shaft is supported in the housing through suitable bearings E.

Thehousing' or casing A forms an encloso sure or compartment to carry the rotor and blades and is provided with ports which com-' municate with the compartment as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. The ports are provided to conduct fluid to and from the 5 chamber which carries the rotor and are provided insets each set including an inlet port 10, and an outlet port 11. The several ports are distri uted around the outer or peripheral portion of the rotor compartment of the casing with the inlet and outlet ports of each set adjacent each other and with the several sets of ports symmetrically disposed around the central axis of the mechanism. In the case illustrated I provide two sets of ports and I relate the ports of each set and the sets of ports so that the two inlet ports 10 occur diametrically opposite each other with reference to the central axis of the mechanism,

while the outlet ports l l occur diametrically several ports and 11 are locate opposite each other with reference to said axis. This arrangement or relationin of ports is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the rawings and is a very important and significant feature of the invention. v

,The casing A is preferably built up of a plurality of sections or parts suitably assembled and secured together. In the construction illustrated the casing A comprises a cenprojecting part ,with a central port 25. I Branch ports 26 extend from the ort to the ports 10 of the bod so that flui admitted to the port 25 passes t rough the ports 26 to the intake ports 10. In the case illustrated a connecting flange 27 is provided at the outer or pro ecting end of the end 14 so that a suitable uidconduit ma be connected with the end 14 to deliver aid to the port tral body section 12 and end sections 13 and -25. The end 14 has a lateral or side projec- 14 secured to the two ends of the body.

The body section 12 of the casing is annular in its general configuration. he body has a central opening extendin through it from one end to the other. forms the chamber for the rotor and blades. The opening is symmetrical or regular in configuration but is not circular. In accordance with the resent invention, the wall portions K -tion 28 having a port 29. The port 29 communicates with ports 30 joining the outlet ports 11 so that the fluid from the outlet ports 11 is communicated to the port 29. The pro- .31 to facilitate connection with a suitable fluid conduit.

The rotor B is fixed on the shaftD, for

- instance, keyed to the shaft, and the assembly his opening jection28 is provided with a coupling flange 15 of the ody opening occurring between the of shaft and rotor is mounted in the casing so that the rotor is concentric with the openports 10 and 11 of each setare formed concentric with the axis of the rotor B and are substantia ly larger in diameter than the wall portions 16 of the opening occurring between the sets of ports. The wall portions 16 are likewise formed concentric with the axis'of ports 10 and the wall portions 18 at the outlet ports-11 join the wall portions 15 and 16, the curvature occurring in the wall portions 17 ing in the body 12 of the casing. The rotor includesa central. art'or body 32 which extends longitudinal y through the opening 'of the body '12 of the casing and is roundin cross section. The body 32 of the rotor is made casin opening, as shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings. Flanges'34 extend radiall outward at the ends of the body 32 and in the and 18 causin them to 'oin, the walls"'15 n preferred arrangement the flanges extend '16 being gra ual, pre erably harmonic. as illustrated in'Fig. 2 of the -drawin The c l in the body 12 so that they enter the central opening of the body between the ends .ofthe body leaving wall portions 17 and 18 at the sides of the ports 10and 11, respectively, for cooperation with the blades O. In the preferred formation of parts theport openings formed in the body 12 extend to one end'fof the*bod-v to .'oin port openings in the end-14, as will behereinafter described. 1.

The end 13 of the casing is secured to one end of the body 12 as by cap screws 19 and is provided with a central opening to pass the shaft D. A suitable packing gland 20 is carriedby the end 13 to pack around theshaft D, asis clearly shown-in Fig. :1 of the drawings. The shaft Dis rotatably s'uppdrted in the end 13 through a bearing E. In the drawings I have shown the-bearing E in the form of a ball bearing having an-inner race 21 carried on-the shaft, an outer race 22 seated j in the end 13,and a. series of balls 23 between the races. I

3 The end 14 of the casing is secured totlie. otherend of the body 12 as by bdlts 24 and is in the nature of a manifold in that it has orts communicating with the-ports of the ody 12-andservesas a fitting for making connections with suitable fluid conduits.

The end 14 projects a substantial'distance from the body 12 in the direction of the axis of the device and is provided in its outer or into recesses 33 provided in the ends 13 and 14, as clearly illustrated in Fig.- 1 of the drawings. The recesses are proportioned so that the flanges may project outwardly beyond the r0t0r- Th w portions 17 t the l t to slidably fit the wall portions 16 of the I the opening in the body 12 and thus seal or close the ends of the bod openin In the construction shown the ange 34 Iocated in "the end 14 of the casing is provided with a hub extension 36 carrying a bearing E whereby the inner end of the shaft D is'mounted 1n the casing. In the arrangement illustrated an inner race 37 is carried on the hub extension 36, an outer race 38 is carried on* the end 14, and a series of balls 39 is provided between the races. The flanges 34 are formed separate from the bod 32 and are secured to the ends of the body y cap screws .40, or the like.

'In. the preferred construction drain o enings41 connect into the recesses 33.

drain openings may extend to an inlet rt.

This relieves pressure from the ends oF th housing. Further, an opening 41 may be provided in the shaft to connect the two re- -cesses.' I may provide check valves 80 in the drain openings to prevent entrance of pressure from the orts to the recesses. This is important w en the device is to be operated in either direction.

The vanes or blades C are carried by the rotor B so that they follow the contour of the central opening of thecasing body 12.

In accordance with the invention I provide a plurality ofblades'G which slidably fit between the ends or flanges 34 of the rotor and are carried in slots 42 formed in the body.

32 of the rotor. The slots extend longitudinally of the rotor and are preferably arthe wall portions of the opening through the casing body 12. The blades are movable to in positions in the slots allowing them to pass through or operate over the wall portions 16 of the casing opening'and are movable to out or extended positions where they operate over and cooperate with the wall portions 15 of the casing opening. The blades operate along or engage with the wall portions 17 and 18.0ccurring at the ports 10 and 11 respectively, in their passage between the -wall portions 15 and 16. The blades are normally urged or held [outwardly against the various wall portions of the casing open ing by centrifugal force set up by rotation of the rotor. In practice this action may be supplemented by springs arranged in the bottom of the slots 42 to normally urge the blades outwardly. Further, in accordance with the present invention grooves or pressure passages 46 are provided in the side walls of the slots 42 to admit pressure behind the blades or into the bottoms of the grooves back of the blades when the blades are in the extended position. The passages 46 are preferably at the pressure sides of the vanes. This equalizes the fluid pressure at the two ends of the blades so that fluid pressure occurring in the mechanism does not tend to press the blades in either direction in the slots. Holes 81 may be formed through the blades to have a similar action. I

From the foregoing description it is believed that the operation of the device will be fully understood. When operating as a motor, fluid, sa for instance, oil under pressure, is admitted to the port 25 to pass through the ports 26 to the intake ports 10. This oil under pressure acts on the blades C in engagement with the wall portions 15 causing the rotor' to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. After the fluid passes between the wall portions 15 and the body of the rotor, it enters or is exhausted into the outlet ports '11 from which it,

flows through the ports 30 to the outlet port 29. The two inlet ports being diametrically opposite each other and the two outlet ports being diametrically opposite each other, the inward pressures occurring on the rotor are balanced so that the bearings which support the-rotor in the casing are not subjected to 16, they do not move or operate in the rotor,

and therefore whilethey are under pressure they do not moverelative to their supporting parts. All of the radial movement, or movement of the-blades relative .to the rotor, occurs while the blades are at the ports 11, and therefore not under pressure, or not holding pressure. This is a very important fea ture of the invention as it results in dependable, smooth operation of the blades, and, in view of the fact that the blades operate or move only when in active or when not holding pressure, they are not subject to any appreciable wear in the slots of the rotor.

It will be apparent that the mechanism of the present invention may be operated as a pressure generating device. In such case the shaft D would be driven and the rotation of the rotor in the casing would cause fluid to be drawn into the mechanism through one .1

set of ports and discharged through the other, depending upon the direction of rotation of the rotor. In this connection it is to be noted that the mechanism when operating as a motor may be operated in a direction opposite to that hereinabove described upon introduction of the fiuidunder pressure into the ports named as outlet ports instead of into the ports namedas inlet ports.

Having described only a typical preferred form of my invention, 1 do not wish to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claim.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A mechanism of the character described including, a rotor, a shaft carrying the rotor, a housing having an opening carryin the rotor, parts on the-rotor projectlng radia ly therefrom and in to recesses in the housing, vanes carried by the rotor between said arts and cooperating with the outer wall 0 the opening, there being spaced inlet and outlet ports in the outer wall of the opening, and means for relieving pressure from the recesses, including a passage in the shaft connecting the recesses and a passage in the housing connecting the recesses and the inlet port.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of January, 1929. HARRY F. VICKERS.

excessive pressures. Further, as the blades C operate to hold fluid pressure, that is as they operate along the wall portions 15 and 

